Woman, 93, robbed, injured in Center City high-rise

By DANA DiFILIPPO, difilid@phillynews.com 215-854-5934

Police are hunting for two thugs who robbed and injured a 93-year-old woman in her Center City apartment building Monday.

The woman's wrist was fractured in the scuffle, and the thugs escaped with just $6 - even though the victim had additional money stashed in a secret pocket in her purse.

"These two are cowards," said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore. "Anybody who's going to prey on a 93-year-old woman who's defenseless, for $6, needs to be found."

Vanore said security cameras captured the two men apparently stalking the victim as she entered her high-rise at 15th and Locust streets about 10 a.m. Monday.

The video shows one man strolling boldly past a security guard and following his prey into the elevator, while the other man distracted the security guard with a phony story about his grandmother once living in the building.

In the elevator, Vanore said, the robber pounced as the doors opened onto the victim's floor. He pushed her out of the elevator, kicked her and stole the wallet from her purse, fleeing in an unknown direction, Vanore said.

Police described one robber as a black man in his 40s, 180 pounds, 5 feet 9, holding a brown suit jacket and wearing a black, brown and tan plaid shirt, khakis and black shoes. The second robber is a black man in his 30s, 195 pounds, 6 feet 2 and wearing a white baseball cap, sunglasses with metal frames, a long-sleeve button-down maroon shirt, dark pants and black shoes.

Anyone who recognizes these suspects or knows anything about this incident should call Central Detectives at (215) 686-3093.